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By Gabriel BagloO
Foster Vulindlela Dongozi’s death was a shocking news to accept. Nevertheless we believe that death has always to do with destiny. I also believe that presently, my Comrade Foster Dongozi with his high sense of humour would be asking : “Gabriel, am I really dead?”

My answer: “Cde, that is the bad news we are grappling with now.”

Actually, Cde Dongozi and I spoke last Friday 18 December. So when I received the bad news on 23 December from my colleague, brother and friend John Masuku, I asked him so many unreasonable questions and had to apologise later for putting him under the stress to explain to me  what he meant by “Foster is no more.”

Cde Dongozi was a special person. He was committed, persistent, obstinate, unrelenting on any cause that he believed that he should defend. He had his own pace and rhythm and you have to bear with him. He was  not the type to change his mind about a cause to defend. But he was strategic and ready to review his strategies to achieve the goals and the causes that we set ourselves to defend together. He was faithful to his country and Africa.

I was IFJ Africa director when I met Comrade Foster Dongozi in 2006. Then he was ZUJ Secretary-General, and we were having meetings in the region to revive the Southen African Journalists (SAJA). Since then, he became part of the movement to launch the Federarion of African Journalists (FAJ) in 2007, and later to create the Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) in 2020 ; and so many achievements have been accomplished.

We have lost a great Cde, a colleague, a freedom fighter. Sincere condolences to the family, the wife, the children, to all journalists, and media workers, in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe and Africa have lost a great and committed son.

We Will Miss You Dear Comrade Foster Dongozi !

Farewell, Go well Comrade!

Rest in Perfect Peace!